He's the woman
by turtlehannah96
Summary: Castiel Novak's life is changed when his family is killed. Sent to Chuck and Anna Milton, he disguises himself as a girl and tries to fit in, a plan that is shot down when he is found out. When the truth comes out, will Dean still like him? Or will he be disgusted?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: So, this is my new story. Hope you like it. The idea came to me randomly and I ran with it XD pairings include destiel, charlie/dorthy, and maybe some sabriel

Warnings: language, minor character death

* * *

Two days after his seventeenth birthday was the worst day of Castiel Novak's life. That was the day he lost everything.

He had always had a simple, peaceful, content life. His dad, James, was an ad salesman, his mom, Amelia, was a dentist, and his sister, Claire, was a vet. Claire was twelve years older than Castiel. While the older three were outgoing and charming, Castiel was very shy and reserved. Of his seventeen years, he had only made two close friends, Uriel Smith and Meg Masters.

Meg was his best friend. The two got along great, considering the two were complete opposites. Meg was loud, brash, and rebellious. She liked to listen to rap music and recently dyed her hair a dark brown so she didn't look like her blonde mother.

While Castiel was very close to his family, Meg hated hers. Lilith, her mother, was an alcoholic drug addict and Meg's father had been in jail long before the two had met. Castiel had reasons to suspect Lilith was abusing Meg, considering Meg never wore short sleeves or shorts and always flinched if you moved too fast, but when he brought his concerns up to Meg, she had begged him to drop it. Against his will, he let it drop.

But perhaps, if he hadn't, things might of turned out differently.

* * *

Saturday, two days after his birthday, started off a normal day. Castiel played some video games with Uriel while his mom and dad made lunch. Claire was visiting for the whole week for his birthday, but would be leaving for Vermont on Monday.

Around nine, long after Uriel had gone home, Castiel changed into his sleep pants and an old shirt. He walked down the hall of the old victorian they lived in and tossed his dirty clothes into the laundry chute. He knew his parents would be turning the news on soon, as they always did at nine, so he headed for the living room.

Before he got to the living room, his phone started ringing.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Cassie?" It was Meg. Castiel's eyebrows furrowed as he realized her voice was shaky and breathless, almost as if she had been crying. But he had never seen Meg cry.

"Meg?"

"I'm on my way to your house. Bad things are happening," she panted.

"Meg? What's going on?" he asked, clutching the phone tighter to his ear.

"Just turn on your damn T.V. and if you have a gun, get it."

"Meg!" But the line went dead. He ran into the living room. "Turn on the news!"

Amelia started to ask what was wrong, but Castiel grabbed the remote and flipped the T.V. on. He turned to a random news channel.

"-reaking news: a dangerous inmate has escaped from prison! Azazel Masters, forty-two, somehow managed to escape when the guard on duty left his post for a few minutes. The FBI had been called in and civilians are warned to be on the lookout. As mentioned earlier, Masters is very dangerous and should not be approached. He is believed to be armed. For those who are wondering who this man is, Masters had been convicted of robbing the bank of New Hampshire and wounding and killing officers in a gunfight. Masters had been caught when a hostage escaped and notified the police. Masters had been headed off as he tried leaving the bank with the money. He had been given a warning and told to stand down. Masters ignored the warning and opened fire, wounding three police officers and killing one. Masters was given fifteen years to life. That was nearly ten years ago. If you think you see Masters, repeat: do not approach! Notify your local police department and get somewhere safe instantly."

James eyebrows furrowed as they showed pictures of what Azazel looked like. Claire turned to Castiel and asked, "isn't Meg's last name Masters?"

Before he could answer, the front door opened and they heard someone running. Meg skidded into the room and looked around wildly. Castiel bit back a gasp as he took in her full appearance.

One of her eyes was swollen shut, her hair looked like it was matted with what looked like blood, her cheek had a long gash on it, and there were small burns on her arms from what looked like cigarettes.

"Did you get the gun?" she asked, wincing and resting a hand on her head.

"Meg? Are you in trouble?" James asked.

"No, not really. But you guys are. Azazel is my dad and he wants revenge."

"Why come here then? Why not tell the police?" Castiel asked.

"Because there is no time! He's almost here!" she screamed, wincing again.

"It's me, isn't it?" James asked. "I recognize him. I had forgotten about him, but i was the one who told the police that day."

"Yeah. That's why you guys have to go!" she yelled, shoving Castiel into motion.

Wasting no more time, he glanced around and quickly decided on the laundry chute. He used to hide there from Claire when they played hide-and-go-seek. He opened the door and climbed in, bracing his feet against the cold metal walls and gently lowering the door so it wouldn't make a loud noise. He could still hear everything that was going on.

"Claire, go!" Meg screamed. Then there was a new voice.

"Meg, Meg, Meg. Now I hope you weren't trying to help our little friends escape me," the cold voice tutted.

"Leave her alone!" James yelled. There was a sharp crack of skin on skin and a low thud. Meg cried out.

"See? You made me do that. Now, shut up and obey me or I do worse than just a slap." There was silence. "Wait. There should be a boy. Where's the boy?"

"There is no boy," Meg said.

"Shut up, bitch." That was Lilith. She was here too? "I know for a fact there is a boy. Skinny little bastard."

"He's gone." James said, pride in his voice. "He's long gone and he's probably already told the police you are here."

"Did he now? Well, then. Guess I better be quick about this then. You, search the house just in case."

"Why?" Lilith whined. "I'll miss the good part."

"Because there's a chance little daddy here is lying. Now, go!" Azazel snapped. Lilith huffed and Castiel heard footsteps. He quickly made his way down the chute and silently dropped onto the clothes he had thrown down earlier. Thinking quickly, he knew Lilith would never look in the washing machine. Thankfully, they had finished the laundry earlier, so it was empty as Castiel opened the lid and climbed in.

Lilith hadn't been lying when she said Castiel was skinny. He was also flexible, so he managed to make himself fit enough to close the lid. He quietly took out his phone and opened it, dialing the one number that could help him right now.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"I know where Azazel Masters is," he breathed, giving his address.

"Have you seen him there?" the lady asked.

"He's here now. My family, he's got them. He's going to kill my dad. Maybe my whole family. I hid in the basement before he got here. Please. You have to send help now."

Just then, however, he heard a soft gunshot echo. "Oh, god! I just heard a gun go off! He's shot someone, I think!"

It took the operator nearly three minutes to calm him down to get the necessary information out of him.

"Castiel, calm down. I'm here. The police should be there any second now," the lady told him. "Where are you exactly?"

He didn't answer because he suddenly heard three more gunshots. "There's three more gunshots! That's four now! I only have three family members up there! I don't know what's going on!"

"Castiel, breathe. Come on, sweetie. Breathe with me." Castiel tried to follow her instructions. "The police are there now. It's going to be okay."

There were several more gunshots, then silence.

"I don't hear anything. I'm so scared," he whispered, his eyes clenched shut.

But then they flew open as he heard voices coming down the stairs. "There's someone in the basement," he breathed out.

"Can you hear what they are saying?"

He listened closely to the voices.

"You said basement, right, Crowley?" The voice was deep and mellow.

"Yes. Linda said that the boy told Stacy he was down here, but there aren't many places to hide." This one had a english accent.

"Is your name Stacy?" he asked the operator.

"Yes, did they use my name?" she asked.

"Yeah, and someone is named Crowley."

"It's okay then, Castiel. Crowley is one of the FBI agents assigned this case. You can hang up now."

He said bye to Stacy and hung up, taking a deep breath. He slowly opened the lid and peered out. Two men were standing there, looking around. They were wearing dark suits. One was tall and dark-skinned, the other was short and pale. He opened the lid further and stood up, catching their attention. The short one seemed impressed with his choice of hide-out.

"Castiel?" he asked.

"Yes. Is my family okay?" Castiel asked. The two agents looked at each other, then back to him.

"You better come with us, son," the tall one said.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: I hope you guys like this so far. It will be about twelve or thirteen chapters. Not very long, but I wasn't going to write a novel XD

Warnings: none really for this chapter

* * *

Dead. His family was all dead. Meg too. According to the agents, Meg had been shot at point blank range in the heart. Claire and Amelia had been shot in the head. All three females had suffered a quick death. James, however, had been shot in the stomach, allowing him to bleed to death slowly. By the time the police arrived, he was nearly dead and there was nothing they could do for him.

Castiel had been brought in to the local police department, but the FBI was the ones who wanted to talk to him. He had been there for nearly an hour now and he could not tell you what anyone had said. He was so numb, his heart hurt, and his head ached. The two agents that had found him were understanding and left him to silently grieve for awhile.

After some time, the door to the room Castiel was in opened. Agent Crowley, the short one that had brought Castiel in, and Agent Henriksen, the tall one, walked into the room.

"Castiel, there is someone who needs to talk to you," Crowley said in his gruff english accent.

"Are you okay with that?" Henriksen asked. Castiel nodded slightly and the two agents nodded to someone outside the room. A shorter Asian lady walked in. She had kind eyes that softened even more when she saw the young boy sitting with his arms wrapped around himself.

"Hello, Castiel. I'm Director Linda Tran," she introduced herself. Castiel looked up at her.

"Hi," he mumbled.

"I understand this is a truly hard time for you," she said, preparing to continue.

"What's going to happen now?" Castiel interrupted, his bright blue eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Well, normally we would send you to a family member, but that's not going to work in this case, is it?" she asked.

"No. Both parents an only child, both sets of grandparents died from natural causes. That's why we were so close. We only had each other." Castiel sniffed once and looked back down. "Why did this happen to us?" he asked so quietly, the agents weren't sure if they heard him correctly.

"That is actually a question we can answer easily," Linda told him. He looked back up at her. "See, Masters was a psychopath. And I don't mean in the way that he did something bad and we need to call him something. I mean, clinically, he was a true psychopath. He was kept in isolation the entire time he was in prison. Your father, ten years ago, was at the bank that Masters was trying to rob. He managed to leave without attracting attention and notified the police. Now, imagine you are in the middle of robbing a bank when the police show up out of nowhere. Imagine, after a gunfight that killed an officer and injured three more, you're led out in handcuffs and you see a face. A face that was standing just a tad too close to an officer, letting you know that was the face who snitched. Imagine spending ten years in prison, remembering that one face. What would you do if you managed to escape?"

"Go after it," Castiel said quietly. "But how did he know where we lived?"

"Lilith. She visited Masters often, bringing pictures of Meg under the pretense of showing him his daughter. But the pictures were of Meg interacting with different people. Lilith was trying to find the man that had locked away her husband. Eventually, on your fourteenth birthday, they found him. She had taken a picture of Meg next to you and your family. That's how they found James," Crowley explained.

"Meg was helping her?" he asked, a sick feeling in his stomach.

"No. From the looks and the angle the photo was taken, Lilith was hiding in some bushes or something. We believe she had been stalking her daughter to get these photos," Henriksen said.

Linda reached down and rested a hand on Castiel's shoulder, causing him to look up at her. "Lilith was not captured," she said heavily. "Azazel Masters was killed in a gunfight he started with our agents, him being the only casualty, but she escaped."

Castiel's eyes widened as he realized what that meant. As if reading his mind, Crowley spoke up. "She is still out there and that means we have to protect you until we can capture her. You do know what that means, right?"

Castiel shook his head.

"That means you will be placed in the Witness Protection Program," Henriksen said.

"But I didn't see anything!" Castiel said, his eyes widening once more.

"No, but she knows what you look like. And Lilith has issues of her own, she will not allow you to live if she has any say in it," Linda told him gently.

"But even if I go somewhere else, won't I still be recognizable?" he asked.

"We've thought about that. You have a choice. You can live either with or nearby an agent who will watch over you up close, or you can wear a disguise and be sent somewhere where you won't have to have an agent breathing down your neck. There will still be one assigned to watch over you, but with a disguise, they won't have to be so close," Linda explained.

"A disguise?"

"Our team will create a disguise that is simple enough that you could wear it all day, every day, but subtle enough that it would successfully hide you," Linda said, sounding a bit proud of her team. "All you would have to do is meet with them and explain what you like. We will take it into consideration."

"So, if I wanted to be a girl, you guys could do that?" Castiel asked quietly.

"Yes," Linda said. Crowley and Henriksen exchanged a look. "Would you like to talk to our team now?" Castiel slowly nodded, a bit unsure. She leaned down and hugged him tightly, startling him. "I'd say it will be okay, but we can't be sure of that, can we?" she asked gently.

Instead of answering, Castiel began to cry. All the tears that he had held back flowed down his face now. Linda held him as he let it out.

He cried for his parents, their lives brutally taken just a couple years before they retired, for Claire, so young and full of life, for Meg, killed simply for helping them and having parents who didn't care about her, and for Uriel, who would never know what really transpired between the Novaks and the Masters.

* * *

The team consisted of three guys and a girl. Eric Anderson, Bryan Baker, Henry Cleaver and his sister Kate. Eric was medium height with thinning brown hair. Bryan had thick brown hair and an interesting scar on his left thumb that he had gotten from a sewing machine incident. Henry had short black hair while Kate had bleached hers blonde, but they both had dark brown eyes.

Crowley and Henriksen had left under Linda's advisement. Linda remained, causing the team to be slightly weary since she was the big boss.

"Alright. First things first," Henry started, circling Castiel's chair like a shark. "Measurements." He held his hand out and Eric tossed him a measuring tape. Kate grabbed a clipboard from the little cart they had rolled in and stood beside Henry, writing down the numbers as he called them.

After that was done, the team pulled up chairs and sat around Castiel and Linda.

"So, Castiel is it?" Kate asked. He nodded. "Alright, well, what would you like as a disguise?"

"You mean I can pick?" he asked.

"Yep. Within reason, of course," Eric said. "Can't make you like a horse or anything like that."

"Can you make me a different gender altogether?" Castiel wondered. He had always liked dressing up in his sister's clothes more than he liked his own.

"Sure can," Byran reassured him. "Is that what you want?"

"Yeah," he answered.

Kate made a note on the clipboard. "Color hair? And length, because that hair is pretty memorable." She gestured to Castiel's wild black hair.

"Um...I'm not sure," Castiel said.

"We could stay with black," Henry said. "If we do any other color, the black might show through."

"Okay, black then," Kate said, making another note.

"And maybe long, but not too long," Castiel suggested.

"Excellent," Eric said.

The questions continued until they were finally done. The team stood up and grinned down at Castiel.

"We'll be back in two hours," Kate said.

"You'll be done by then?" Castiel asked, amazed.

"There's more than just us four. We're just the leaders. Our whole team is big enough that, yeah, we can be done by then," Bryan said, shrugging.

"You're gonna make an excellent girl," Kate said, winking and laughing as the team walked out. Linda smiled as Castiel blinked at the sudden departure.

"They're always like that," she said when he turned to her, questions in his eyes.

"They are kind of…" he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"In your face?" Linda suggested.

Castiel nodded. "But in a nice way," he said quickly.

Linda laughed and looked towards the closed door. "They're my best team. Trust me, Castiel, you're in good hands."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: Don't feel scared to tell me how you are liking or hating this story XD

Warnings: none really for this chapter

* * *

Two hours later, Castiel had to admit he was impressed. They had created a thin, flexible suit for him to wear. It was thick enough to cushion his abs, but thin enough he wouldn't overheat in it. It would be attached to him using special tape that was waterproof so he could shower with it if he had to. It had small breasts that felt real.

"They are a bit small, but you're not used to them, so we figured that was better," Kate said, helping him put the suit on. He guessed himself nearly a B cup now.

"It's fine," he said, looking down at it. It was just him, Kate, and Linda now. He was unsure of what to do with his hands, so he settled for twisting them together.

Kate laughed. "Just saying, last teenage boy who wanted to go as a girl just for fun couldn't keep his hands off his chest," she said.

Castiel blushed. "I'd rather not," he murmured quietly.

"So, it's like that, huh?" Linda asked, a knowing glint in her eyes.

"Yeah," Castiel said, nodding. "That's why I mostly kept to myself. A boy who likes to crossdress and is gay doesn't make a lot of friends. Uriel was totally cool with it, and Meg-" He broke off, lip trembling as he remembered Meg would never tease him again.

"It's okay, Castiel," Linda said gently. "It's okay to miss her, to miss everyone."

His lower lip trembled as he struggled to keep the tears back. "It's just hard remembering she won't ever say hi to me again. Won't ever call me Cassie to annoy me. Claire will never open her own vet clinic like she's wanted to. Dad won't get Mom the sewing machine she's been eyeing for ages. Mom and Dad will never surprise me with the kitten I overheard them talking about a few weeks ago."

Kate and Linda smiled sadly as the young teen sniffled a bit, but managed to hold himself together.

"Well, you know, the family that is taking you in loves animals. I know it's not the same, but maybe they will let you have a pet," Linda said.

"You already know the family?" Castiel asked, looking up at her.

"Yes. Would you like to hear about them while Kate and you decide your wardrobe?" Linda asked him. He nodded slightly. "Alright. Well, they are the Miltons. Chuck is a novelist. I'm sure you may have read some of his stories?"

Castiel gasped, momentarily distracted from his pain. "You don't mean the Chuck Milton, author of the series Supernatural? I have all his books! Well, had…"

"Yes I do. And you can still keep your books. We will allow you to keep most of your stuff, but things like clothes, furniture, things that can be replaced will stay. But I suggest keeping all personal things, like photos, hidden safely. Remember," Linda warned, "no one can know who you really are."

Castiel nodded. "I got a box that has a lock and a code on it. They can go in there," he said.

"Excellent. Now, continuing on," Linda said, smiling while Kate tried different things on Castiel, who either nodded or shook his head at the clothing. The two ladies soon realized Castiel favored more girly stuff like the color pale pink, but hated skirts, since it was harder to hide the fact he was a guy in a skirt.

"Anna is Chuck's wife. She's a doctor, a pediatrician. She became a doctor after her youngest son, Nick, died from a severe flu. He would of been a couple years younger than you now. They have three other sons. Michael is the oldest, he's twenty and is going to college to be a neurosurgeon. Balthazar is nineteen and going to law school. Then there is Gabriel, sixteen, who has no clue what he wants to do yet."

"Wow. They are so ambitious," Castiel commented.

"Very, but also very laid back. Chuck rarely gets angry, and even when he does, he calms down in seconds. But he will often be deep in his writing for days. Anna is a bit more emotional, but very fair. They wait to hear both sides and take the time to weigh options before making a decision. Michael is a bit more strict, but that's mostly because he has a form of OCD. He loves rules and organization. Balthazar is very sarcastic, but can be serious when he wants to be. He likes pulling pranks with Gabriel, but also values his school work. Gabriel is the trickster of the family. Always joking and playful, but very loyal. He makes friends easily, but only considers a few closer than that. He is very protective. Balthazar and Gabriel like to mess with Michael by moving things slightly out of place. Not enough to notice right away, but enough that Michael knows something is wrong."

Castiel giggled at Linda's description of his new family. Then he made a face at a pair of bright purple skinny jeans. "Not a fan of skinnies," he told Kate. "They kinda hurt."

"Okay, let's try bootcut and flares," she said, tossing the pants to the side.

"They sound amazing," Castiel informed Linda. "Where do they live?"

"Sioux Falls, South Dakota. My son also lives there. He's an agent, but he got a job as a teacher so he could blend in," Linda explained. Castiel nodded. "Not many people will know the truth. Only Chuck, Anna, my son Kevin, and the school's counselor will know. The counselor because we figured you would need to talk to someone who wasn't close to you or working for me every now and then."

"Sounds good," Castiel said, trying on a pair of faded denim jeans. "Oh, I like the way these fit," he said, turning a bit and looking into the mirror Kate had provided. He examined himself with a critical eye.

With the wig he had been given, he could pass off as a real girl. He had always been slender, even as a kid. He had small hips, but the jeans made it look like they were bigger. His arms and legs were thin, but he was very strong. He ran for exercise. He looked closer at his face. His eyes were always big, wide, and very blue. He loved his eyes the most. His hair, when not captured by the wig, was wild and short. The wig was waist length and straight. His nose was strong and perfectly centered, having never been broken. And his lips were usually bright pink, but now were red from chewing on them. He straightened to his full height of 5'8" and smiled shyly.

"I look like an actual girl," he said softly, fidgeting with the end of the soft blue shirt. He wasn't used to the bra underneath, but it wasn't that uncomfortable.

"You do," Kate said, grinning. "That's the point, isn't it?"

Then Castiel thought of something. "It's not going to be a problem with the Miltons, is it? A gay crossdresser coming to live with them?"

"No," Linda assured him. "One, only the parents will know. Two, they are all very open-minded. Balthazar is gay also and Gabriel doesn't care about gender at all."

"They sound almost too good to be true," he said, frowning a bit.

"Castiel, right now you need good," Linda said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now, let's get you packed up and on the airplane. Your new family is waiting for you."

* * *

Castiel, despite everything, was bouncing in his seat nervously. He was in between a man who was snoring and a young boy about his age. The plane was about ready to leave any second. Linda had assured him two agents would be on board with him and the rest of his stuff would be sent later.

"Excited for something?" the young boy asked.

"I'm meeting my new family," Castiel answered honestly.

"Ah, good for you then. Not many your age get adopted," he said, grinning. "I'm Cole. Cole Trenton."

"I'm Cassandra Milton now," Castiel said, using the name Linda had come up with. The nickname, Cassie would work either way and Castiel would answer right away.

"That's my dad," Cole said, nodding to the sleeping man. "So, where are you headed to from California?"

"South Dakota. You?"

"Whoa. That's far away. Dad and I are headed to see Mom at a conference in Virginia. She's a motivational speaker for teens and I wanted to hear this one, so Dad's taking me as an early birthday present. I'll be eighteen on Friday. How old are you?" he asked.

"I just turned seventeen," Castiel answered. "Two days ago."

"Awesome. Happy late birthday."

"Happy early birthday," Castiel said, smiling. Cole laughed and thanked him. The two teens talked until they landed in South Dakota. Cole and his dad would be getting on another plane while Castiel met his new family for the first time.

"Well, it was nice talking to you," Cole said, grinning. "I'll sure never forget such a cutie like yourself."

Castiel blushed and looked down. Cole's dad, having woken up long ago, seemed amused as Cole kissed Castiel's cheek and walked away, waving. Castiel waved back and let out a happy sigh. He looked around the airport, and noticed a short boy jumping up and down with a sign that read Miltons. Castiel smiled and headed towards the sign, hoping that his new life ended much better than his old one. He will never forget, but maybe, just maybe, it could get better.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: So, I just have to type one more chapter and then this story is done. Might do star trek or sherlock next, I'm not sure. If you have a request, for any fandom, let me know and I'll see what i can do.

Warnings: none for this chapter

* * *

"Gabriel, calm down. You're going to scare her off," Balthazar said.

Gabriel, who had been hopping up and down, grinned. "Sorry, but I'm excited. It's not everyday we get a new sister!"

Chuck laughed. "I should hope not. Our house isn't big enough," he said, grinning.

Anna smiled and laid a hand on her youngest son's shoulder. "Remember, she might not be up for talking. Poor dear just lost everything." The story everyone had decided on was that Castiel was the only survivor in a house fire.

"I know," Gabriel assured his mother, looking around the airport. Since Sioux Falls was so small, the nearest airport was an hour away.

Michael pointed to the board that had the times on it. "She should be getting off soon," he said.

Gabriel snatched the sign that read Miltons away from Balthazar and jumped up and down with it.

"Hey!" Balthazar exclaimed.

"You weren't holding it high. What is she's short?"

"Like you?"

"Boys," Anna warned. They grinned at her, but she just gave them a warning look.

"This is going to be so cool!" Gabriel stated. "We'll be in the same school. I can help her find her way around and she can meet Charlie!"

"Geez, don't overwhelm her or anything," Balthazar drawled.

"Balth, let him have his moment," Chuck said gently.

"Chuck and Anna Milton?" A husky voice asked from behind. The Miltons turned and smiled at the thin girl with the waist-length hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed simply in a pink shirt, denim jeans, and black flats. "I'm Cassandra Newman."

"It's lovely to finally meet you. I'm Anna," Anna said, giving her a hug.

"Chuck. We're sorry about the events that led you here, but we hope you like it with us," Chuck said.

"I hope so too," she answered, smiling softly.

"We'll take your bags," Michael said. "I'm Michael and that's Balthazar," he said, nodding to his brother who was taking Cassandra's other bag.

"I'm Gabriel! Come on," he said excitedly. "Let's go see your new home."

* * *

Castiel grinned as his new younger brother chattered on and on. He glanced around the rest of the van.

Chuck had wiry brown hair and large hazel eyes. Anna had red hair and light blue eyes. They both stood slightly shorter than Castiel. Michael was the tallest, probably six foot even, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Balthazar had light blue eyes and blond hair, but the brown eyebrows shown it was not a natural blond. He was slightly shorter than Michael. Gabriel had light brown hair and hazel eyes. He was the shortest at about 5'6".

Gabriel and Castiel were in the middle seats, Chuck and Anna in front, and Michael and Balthazar in the back.

"Your room is right next to mine. The walls are white, but Mom says you can paint them any color you want besides black. I can help if you want. I love painting. This one time, I was helping my friend Ben paint his room and I tripped and knocked over the paint. Lisa, his mom, wasn't mad but I felt bad. There's a stain on his rug now. Which was stupid to paint over a white rug with no protection, but I wasn't going to say that," Gabriel explained.

"You can help as long as you're careful," Castiel said, mindful of keeping his voice higher than normal. His normal tone was deep and rich, too low for a girl.

Gabriel nodded quickly. "I'll be careful! Are you good in school? I'm decent, but I have to have a tutor in math. Ed Bradbury. He's in your grade and he was a twin named Harry. Fraternal twins. Their sister, Charlie, is my best friend. She likes girls and she's not afraid of letting people know that. Her girlfriend is scary though. Dorothy is in kickboxing."

Castiel struggled a bit to keep up with the speed in which Gabriel changed topics. "I am very good in school. I've had all A's since second grade."

"Maybe you could help me then? I don't like Ed. He likes to use big words and he's constantly adjusting his glasses even though he doesn't need to." Gabriel stuck his tongue out.

"I wouldn't mind. I used to tutor kids all the time," Castiel said, smiling.

"So, Cassandra," Anna said, cutting over Gabriel. "Is there a nickname you'd like us to use?"

"Cassie is fine. Thank you again for taking me in."

"No problem. Seriously. I've always wanted a daughter," she said, play glaring at Chuck who laughed.

"Hey, I tried my best," he said, defending himself.

The hour passed quickly and soon they pulled up to the Milton's house. Unlike Castiel's older four-story house, the Milton's owned a cozy two-story house which was still pretty big. The outside was pale green with a darker green trim. It had a two-car garage and the yard was bright green and promising. There was a small flower garden and a red bike propped against a single tree.

"The bike's mine," Gabriel explained. "But you can use it until we get you one. Or an actual car. I don't know."

Castiel grinned. It was hard to stay sad around Gabriel. "Thank you."

"Let me show you the house," Anna said. "Michael and Balthazar will take your suitcases to your room."

Castiel agreed and Anna hesitantly took his hand. They walked in after Chuck unlocked the front door. Anna showed him the large kitchen, the living room, Chuck's writing room, the game room, the small laundry room, and the small bathroom. Upstairs was Chuck and Anna's room, Michael and Balthazar's room, Gabriel's room, Castiel's new room, the guest room, and two more bathrooms. Balthazar had let Castiel use his room, moving in with Michael since the two were rarely home anyways with college going on.

Castiel's new room was large and bright. There was a queen bed, a dresser, a small nightstand with a pretty lamp, a desk and chair, a small walk-in closet, and two large bookshelves. His suitcases were resting on the bed, all five of them. Anna left him alone to unpack, promising Gabriel wouldn't bother him.

He began to put his new clothes up. He lined his shoes up in the closet, set his laptop and cord on the desk, and hid his box of photos under his bed. Once he was done, he unfolded the papers that Linda had sent with him. One was his new schedule.

1-English with Bela Talbot

2-Math with Jessica Moore

3-Art with Pamela Barnes

4-Computers with Kevin Tran

lunch

5-Gym with Gordon Walker

6-Study hall with Lisa Braeden

7-History with Richard Roman

He found that he was actually excited to go to his new school. It seemed like forever ago that Azazel had broken out of prison, yet it also seemed like hours ago. The pain was still fresh, probably wouldn't go away easily, but he found he was also excited to be starting a new life. He was still heartbroken and angry over everything that had happened. He still hated Lilith for endangering Meg like that and he hated Azazel for ruining his family, he still felt sorry for Meg, whose only crime in life was having parents who hated her. He still felt sad that his sister would no longer care for animals or that his parents were no longer looking forward to retirement. But he could also feel a bit happy that he got to meet such a wonderful family. He loved listening to Gabriel's endless talking, to Anna's soft voice, to Michael and Balthazar argue over trivial things.

He took a deep breath and headed out of his room to hang out with his new family. He was now determined to live his new life for his family that now couldn't.

He was determined to make it.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: Sorry this took so long to get up. been using my laptop to keep my nieces busy with netflix while my ps3 got fixed XD

Warnings: none really for this one

* * *

"It's good that you arrived on Thursday," Chuck said from his chair. There were four chairs and one long couch in the living room. "You have tomorrow to settle into your new school, then the weekend to relax."

"I, uh, don't have any supplies," Castiel mumbled.

"We got that covered," Anna assured him. "Don't worry."

Castiel smiled at her, marveling at this family's selfless nature. Changing the subject before he started crying, he asked them, "So what do you guys do?" He knew, of course, but he wanted to make conversation.

"I'm a writer, so I apologize now if I disappear for a few days," Chuck said, laughing.

"I'm a pediatrician. I work at the local clinic," Anna said.

"I work at a coffee shop by my college few hours from here," Michael said. "I'm going to be a neurosurgeon."

"And I'm studying to be a lawyer. I intern at a office a bit further away," Balthazar said.

"I work at the library," Gabriel said. "Do you like animals?"

"I love animals," Castiel told him.

"The animal clinic is hiring. They double as a shelter. It's run by Sue Bradbury, Charlie's mom. Sometimes Charlie helps out. Ed and Harry like to spend all their time filming themselves on 'ghost hunts'." Gabriel added quotation marks and rolled his eyes. "They never actually catch anything. Although this one time, they got scared crapless. Dean Winchester, Jo Singer, and Benny Lafitte convinced them the library was haunted and when they went to go film it, Dean and Jo scared them while Benny filmed."

Castiel laughed. "Sounds charming."

"Wait until you meet Dean. He's awesome. He's got a little brother named Sam. Mom and his mom are best friends, so they come over a lot. Sam is fourteen, Dean is eighteen. He's in his last year like you. He works at Bobby Singer's auto shop. That's Jo's dad."

"Spare her everyone's life story, huh?" Michael asked, trying not to laugh.

"I'm just trying to make things more comfortable for her," Gabriel retorted.

"No, it's okay," Castiel said, grinning fully now. "I think I got it. Dean Winchester has a little brother, is in the same grade as me, and terrorizes bad math tutors and their twin brothers."

Everyone laughed as Castiel summed up the conversation. Soon, everyone was talking quietly and relaxing. The iron grip on his heart loosen as he talked with his new family a little more.

* * *

The next day, Castiel woke up with a start. He had a nightmare about Azazel killing his family right in front of him. Heart racing wildly, he looked around the bright room and reminded himself that he was safe now.

Getting up slowly, he glanced at his alarm clock and saw that it was nearly six. He dressed in black flares and a black shirt with pink accents on it after struggling into his bra. He slipped on the flats he wore yesterday.

Heading downstairs, Castiel found Anna in the kitchen. She was making breakfast and smiled when he walked into the room.

"You're up early. It's not even six yet," Anna commented.

"I had a nightmare," he mumbled. Anna's face grew concerned.

"Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, setting the oven on low and coming over to sit next to Castiel.

"What do you know about my story?" he asked to make sure.

"Everything. Chuck and I know the truth. The boys think you lost everything in a fire. So you can talk to either one of us about anything."

"I dreamed Azazel killed my family in front of me," he whispered. She immediately gathered him in her arms.

"Oh, Cassie," she said, squeezing him gently. Castiel felt a few tears fall, but he didn't start crying like he expected himself to. She released him and leaned back. "You know, Linda told me that your parents were going to get you a pet. Would you still like one?"

"I can have one?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Of course. We just ask no snakes since Michael is scared of them and no birds because they freak Gabriel out. Anything else is fair game. Gabriel has a hamster in his room and we used to have a hedgehog."

"Whoa, cool choice," he said. "What happened?"

Anna smiled. "Old age. So, what would you like?"

"Well, I'd like a kitten. Or a turtle. I'm not sure yet."

"Well, how about after school today, we'll take you by Sue's and you can pick out a pet and also apply for a job if you want. You don't have to," she said.

"I'd like to. It would distract me from thinking too much," Castiel said.

At that moment, Gabriel came in, trying to smooth down his hair. Anna got up and finished breakfast, dishing it out as the other two boys came in.

"Any allergies?" Anna asked as she set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him.

"Not that I know of," he answered.

"I'm allergic to shellfish," Gabriel said. "This one time-"

"So, how did you sleep, Cassie?" Balthazar asked, cutting Gabriel off.

Castiel smiled at the pout on Gabriel's face. "Fine," he lied. Anna gave him a sympathetic look.

"You have a bag filled with supplies by the front door. We weren't sure what you like, so if you don't like anything, we can exchange it," Anna explained.

"And Michael and I won't be here when you guys get home," Balthazar added. "We were only given a couple days off, but we gotta go back to our own schools."

Castiel nodded. "But we'll be back in time for Christmas," Michael stated.

The family ate with conversation flowing around them and soon it was time for the two youngest to head off to school. Castiel found the bag and instantly loved it. It was an crossbody bag with a panda on it wearing glasses.

When they arrived at the school, with Anna driving them there since it was a bit cold out, Gabriel bounded off, but she held Castiel back.

"I really am sorry for what happened to you, Cassie," Anna said. "It's terrible that all that happened to you and at such a young age."

"Thank you. Your family helped me out. You are so kind and generous," Castiel said.

"Thanks. And good disguise. You really look like a girl," she said, grinning.

Castiel smiled back. "That's the point," he said, winking.

She laughed. "Now, go learn something and make some friends," she said, ushering him gently out of the car. He waved and headed inside to start his new school.

* * *

By the time Castiel was done with the school secretary, first period was almost over. The secretary led him to a classroom and opened the door.

"Bela, this is your new student, Cassandra Milton," the kind lady announced.

The teacher was a young, beautiful, blonde. When she spoke, Castiel noted the english accent. "Hello. Welcome to English class. I'm Mrs. Talbot," she said.

Since Castiel didn't move, the secretary nudged him forwards, then left the classroom. Castiel swallowed nervously. "H-hello."

"Why don't you take a seat behind Benny. Benny, raise your hand," Bela said.

A young man raised his hand and Castiel walked to the empty seat behind him. Benny had dark brown hair, a few days worth of stubble, and clear blue eyes. He was very hot.

"We are currently reading Macbeth. You will be provided with a book and a packet of questions. Since you came in late, you don't have to do the first few pages. For now, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" Bela asked.

Castiel froze. What could he possibly say? "I-I like to be called Cassie," he managed.

"Are you related to Chuck and Anna Milton?" A deep, rough voice asked from behind him. Castiel turned and had to bite back a surprised gasp.

If Benny was hot, this new guy was scorching. He had dark blonde hair that was carefully styled, darker stubble that Benny, and green eyes that seemed to shine with an inner light. Whereas Benny was carefully dressed in a new-looking shirt and denim jeans, this guy was dressed in a band shirt with AC/DC on it, torn and faded jeans, and a brown leather jacket that looked soft with wear.

"Not by blood. They are now my parents," he answered after trying to reorganize his mind.

"Ah. So you're the chick they've been waiting for?"

"Dean!" Bela's voice rang out sharp and clear. Just then, the bell rang. Castiel hesitated as he didn't know where his next class was.

"Hey, sorry for that. That came out wrong. I swear I wasn't trying to be an ass," Dean said, standing up.

"Oh, it's fine," Castiel said, also standing and noticing that Dean was several inches taller.

"What do you have next?" Dean asked.

"Uh, math."

"With Miss Moore? Me too," Dean said, grinning. Castiel felt a little tug on his stomach. "Dean Winchester."

"Cassie."

School just became much more interesting.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: sorry, my playstation broke so i've been using my laptop, but it's fixed now so here's another chapter XD

Warnings:

* * *

"I can show you the way," Dean offered.

Castiel slowly nodded. "Okay."

Dean grinned. He waved to Benny and waited as Castiel gathered his things. As they walked through the halls, Castiel noticed many giving him curious looks. Many girls glared at him while trying to make eye contact with Dean, who was completely ignoring them to explain all the school rules to Castiel. One girl fell into step with them. She had long light blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She was dressed similar to Dean, only choosing Converse instead of the work boots Dean wore.

"Hey! I'm Jo Singer. I see you already met Dream," she said, playfully nudging Dean.

"Dream?" Castiel asked, confused.

"That's the name she gave me," Dean explained.

"Because, according to nearly every girl here, he's so dreamy," Jo said, making her voice sound breathless.

Dean punched her lightly. "Shut up."

She stuck her tongue out at him and turned to Castiel. "Don't fall for his charms. He's probably slept with half the girls here. Protect yourself," she said.

"I have not!" Dean exclaimed. "Probably only a quarter."

"Oh, right. I'm confusing you with my brother again. Speaking of which, don't listen to my brother. He's not required to do anything." With that said, she left them to duck into a classroom. Dean laughed as Castiel slight gape.

"Yeah. She's always like that," he said. "Here we are." He opened the door to another classroom and let Castiel walk ahead of him. Castiel got the feeling he was checking out his ass.

Jessica Moore, even younger than Bela, was excited to see Castiel. He was told to pick his own seat, since she didn't like giving seating arrangements. Castiel chose one across from Dean. When he sat down, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hello. I'm Ash. I'm required to escort new kids around on their first day," a young man said. Castiel guessed this was Jo's brother since they had the same eyes. But Ash's hair was darker and cut into a mullet.

"Jo's already warned her," Dean said, laughing.

"Damn. Foiled again," Ash muttered, snapping his fingers.

"That was a good try though," Castiel told him.

"Thank you, beautiful," Ash said, winking.

"Ash, if you're done shamelessly flirting, I'd like to begin," Jessica called out, smiling.

"Oh, I'll never be done, but I guess I can take a break," Ash replied, shrugging.

The class laughed and the lesson began. Jessica, Castiel noted, was very energetic and able to explain math in a way that anyone could understand. Before Castiel knew it, the bell was ringing.

"So, cutie, what's your next class?" Ash asked.

Castiel couldn't stop the blush that crept over his face. "Art," he mumbled.

"Whoa, me too," Dean said. "Can I see your schedule?"

Castiel handed him the paper while they walked out of the classroom, Ash holding the door open for him.

"The only class you have that I don't is computers. Ash has that. I take Auto Mechanics," Dean explained.

"Then I guess it's farewell for now," Ash said, bowing deeply before grinning and running off.

"Sorry about him," Dean said, handing the paper back. "Benny's pretty quiet around girls, but Ash seems on a mission to talk to every girl there is besides his sister."

"I hope he doesn't talk to Jo like that," Castiel said, smiling. He was a bit shocked that he was talking so easily to Dean. He had always been a really shy child.

Dean laughed. "Me too. Well, here's the art room. Right now we're doing oils. We get to pick our own partners. Since my partner is in the hospital for a soccer accident, wanna be my partner?"

Castiel nodded. "Sure. I love using oils. But I work better with pastels," he said.

"Oh, cool. So you like to draw and stuff like that?" Dean asked, leading Castiel to a table in the back.

"Yes. My sister used to babysit me a lot, but she had cheerleading practice, so she gave me things to do while she practiced and I sat in the bleachers. I taught myself how to draw, read, paint, things like that," Castiel explained, a little lump in his throat as he thought of Claire.

"Awesome." Dean didn't get a chance to say much else, since at that moment Pamela started talking to Castiel about the class and giving him a set of oils to use. Anna had already bought him a large sketch pad, so Castiel didn't need that.

The partners were given different topics to draw and set to work. Dean and Castiel had gotten landscapes. The two smiled at each other and started drawing.

* * *

Every now and then, Dean glanced up at the new girl sitting across from him. She was so beautiful with her super-long black hair and wide blue eyes framed by thick lashes. Dean felt that blue was too simple of a word to describe the swirl of colors in those eyes. She was thin, not very curvy, but Dean liked it. Her breasts were smaller than what he was used to, but he decided they worked for her.

Going back to his work, he added some trees. He had decided to draw his favorite hangout, Lake Jackson. Sammy and Dean loved to swim there in the summer. Bobby and his family, Chuck and his, and John's family all loved to get together and do things. Dean and Ash were the same age, a year younger than Balthazar and two younger than Michael. Jo was a year younger than Ash and Dean. Gabriel was sixteen and Sam was fourteen. All the kids liked each other and sometimes Benny would hang out with them. Benny had moved here three years ago from New Orleans with his parents. He was an only child.

Dean felt like such an ass at his off-handed comment to Cassandra earlier. He had been curious because Anna had been so excited to gain a new daughter, even if the circumstances weren't the best.

Anna was best friends with Ellen Singer, Jo and Ash's mom, and his own mom, Mary. The three had gone to college together, even though Anna was nearly five years older than the other two. Mary had been the one to introduce Anna to Chuck.

The three families had always been close. Everyone mourned when Nick finally succumbed to the weak immune system he had been born with. Nick had always been a sickly kid, in and out of hospitals his entire life. At age nine, Nick died in his sleep. The whole town mourned.

But now, Anna is so happy. She didn't tell Mary much, just that bad circumstances sent her a daughter. Dean wondered what circumstances they were, but there was no way he was going to ask.

"I'm done. What about you?" she asked in her soft husky voice.

"Yeah." They switched pads and Dean's jaw dropped at the life-like painting. It was a picture of a victorian house. The blue trimming stood out against the white paint job. There were three trees in the front yard, one of them supporting a tire swing. Small rocks lined a pathway from the driveway to the front door. It was very beautiful.

"You're awesome at this. This looks so life-like. Have you seen this before? Is this your old house?" Dean asked.

She looked down, frowning a bit. "Yeah. The tire swing was my sister's."

Dean frowned also as he was reminded how much she had lost. "I'm sorry. For everything."

She looked up at him, her blue eyes pulling him in. "Thank you."

* * *

Castiel looked back at the picture. Dean was also good. The picture was a lake, the calm waters inviting. There were trees scattered around and a couple of picnic benches with a grill nearby. There was what looked a fallen tree forming a ledge over the water.

"Uh, that's a tree that fell about five years ago. It's still pretty sturdy and we like to walk on it to the end and then jump," Dean explained, pointing to the fallen tree.

"What is this place?" Castiel asked.

"Lake Jackson. It's too cold to swim now, but in the summer my family, yours, and the Singers go there and have picnics."

"Can't wait for the summer then." Castiel smiled at him.

"You're going to love it," Dean assured him.

Castiel grinned a full grin, causing Dean to stare a bit. "I bet I am."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: Here's the next chapter. don't be afraid to leave a review :3

Warnings: language

* * *

"Why does it always have to be an abandoned warehouse?"

"It's not abandoned."

"Al, the only thing it's missing is the tied up girl and a dead body that's probably forty years old."

Alastair Masters glared at his companion. "Why forty?"

"I dunno. Why not forty?" Chris Harkness retorted.

Alastair sighed. "It's not abandoned. I own this warehouse. I just don't use it often Anyways, drop it. She should be here soon."

Chris scratched his face, his fingers tangling in the wild mane surrounding his face. "Your brother's chick, right? Lacy? Lulu?"

"It's Lilith, jackass," a female voice said from behind them. They turned and faced Lilith.

She had been beautiful once, that much was obvious, but years of drugs and alcohol wore her down. Her hair was limp around her thin face and her brown eyes were bloodshot. Her arms bore scars from needles. Chris' lip turned up in disgust as Alastair smiled.

"Lilith," Alastair drawled. "How's life?"

"Just peachy, I bet," Chris muttered. She glared at him.

"And why wouldn't my life be great?" she demanded.

He gave a harsh laugh. "You're kidding, right? Why would it be great? Your husband was in jail, escaped, shot your daughter in the fucking head, killed an innocent family, then got himself killed during a gunfight between him and the FBI."

"I see you watch the news," she said, smirking. "But the news did not tell you all the details. That was no innocent family. That man ruined Azazel's life!"

"So you kill his entire family? And I notice you said nothing about Meg," Chris pointed out.

"Don't say that bitch's name. She deserved it, helping them. And the entire family isn't dead. That's why I'm here. The boy is still alive."

Alastair chuckled. "Let me guess. You want me to have him killed?"

"You're kidding, right?" Chris blurted out as Lilith nodded.

"Why is he here?" Lilith demanded angrily. "I asked to see you alone."

"He is my right-hand man. I figured he should hear this," Alastair said.

"Really? Him? This loser with the lion's mane and shark shirt?" Her voice dripped with disdain.

Chris folded his arms over the truthfully tacky shirt that had sharks all over it. "Glow-in-the-dark shark shirt," he corrected her.

"Do you have a picture of this boy?" Alastair asked, quickly stepping in between the two.

She reached into her bra and pulled out a photo. She handed it over, ignoring Chris' look of disgust.

"Excellent. I will set the hellhounds on his trail." The hellhounds were a group of Alastair's men that were tasked with finding targets and killing them. "This time, they will report to me and I will personally take care of it."

"Thanks. Once he's dead, the money will be in your account," she said.

Alastair waved a hand. "Nonsense. Azazel's widow does not pay."

Lilith smiled at him. "There's got to be some way I can repay you."

"Why not suck his dick? Seems that's all you're good for," Chris said.

She huffed loudly and and stomped off. When she was gone, Alastair turned to Chris.

"The fuck, man?"

"What?" Chris asked, eyes wide.

"Why were you treating her like shit?"

Chris raised an eyebrow. "You serious? Because she's a whore. Her husband, her dead husband, shot their daughter and she's trying to get into your pants. She probably is only doing it so you'll give her free drugs."

Alastair scoffed. "Please. You've bedded worse women."

"None that messed up. Excuse me for saying, but none of my exes have killed a child and ruined another kid's life forever."

Alastair glared at him and walked away, pulling out his phone.

"Whoa, you're not actually going to go through with this, are you?" Chris asked.

Alastair paused, phone held to his ear. "Yes I am. You had no qualms about killing before, so I expect you to shut up about this. You're not going to stop me." With that said, he walked out of the warehouse.

"Watch me," Chris muttered. "I admit I don't mind killing, but I draw the line at kids."

He began to form a plan.

* * *

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Castiel met many people, including Gabriel's best friend Charlie. He met Kevin Tran, who was assigned to look out for him.

He liked Dean most of all. Dean with his fun stories, curious questions, and easy-going personality.

After the last bell had rang, Castiel stopped by his locker to grab his bag. He already hated his history teacher, Richard Roman, but he liked the rest of his classes.

"Cassie! How was your first day? Was it good? Did you meet anyone cool? Make any friends?" Castiel didn't even have to look to know it was Gabriel behind him.

Turning, he smiled at Gabriel and Charlie. "Hello again, Charlie. And my first day was good," he said.

"I saw you talking to Dean," Gabriel said, grinning. "Do you like him?"

But Castiel didn't get a chance to answer as the man himself appeared with his little brother in tow. "Hey, Cassie, Gabriel, Charlie. Cassie, this is Sam, my brother," Dean said, clapping a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"It's nice to meet you," Castiel said.

"You too," Sam said.

"Hey, Sam, did Mary say you can come over?" Gabriel asked. Sam nodded. "Awesome. Charlie's coming too. I got a new video game called Moondor. It sounds awesome."

"Cool!" With that said, the three younger teens converged to discuss this new game. Dean looked back at Castiel.

"So, Cassie. Do you have a ride home?" he asked, leaning against the locker.

Castiel couldn't stop the little blush as he nodded. "Anna, I mean M-Mom, is picking us up."

"I can tell her that you've got another ride," Gabriel said, abandoning the video game in favor of the new conversation.

Dean laughed. "Looks like you're covered," he pointed out.

Castiel grinned. "Looks like it. So, I guess I'm riding with you?"

"Sam's riding with Gabe and Charlie anyways, so…" Dean shrugged, giving a crooked smile. The three younger teens laughed and looked at each other.

"Dean and Cassie, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," the three said in unision. Castiel flushed a deep red while Dean laughed and grabbed Gabriel and Sam both in a headlock. The two boys squealed as they tried to escape Dean's grip.

"Cassie, help!" Gabriel called out, twisting to try to escape.

Castiel laughed as he shook his head. "Nope. I think I'm going to sit this one out," he said. Charlie laughed with him.

Dean finally let them go, ruffling their hair. The boys glared at him, fixing their hair and running off, Charlie right behind them.

"They hate it when I do that. So, I try to do it at least once a day," Dean told Castiel. Castiel laughed.

"You're so nice."

"Right? I'm the nicest there is. Now, come on, let's go meet my baby," Dean said, grabbing Castiel's hand and pulling him along. Castiel was so confused by the baby comment that he didn't even think about the fact they were holding hands. Did Dean have a kid?

The answer was no. Dean's 'baby' was a classic '67 Impala with leather seats and a glossy black paint job. As they got into the car, Dean ran a hand along the door.

"What do you think?" he asked as they buckled in. "It was a total junker when my dad finally passed it to me, but I fixed it up and she runs smoothly."

"You fixed this?" Castiel asked, glancing around. He noticed a small army man wedged in an ashtray.

"Yep. My dad and Bobby taught me everything I know. Dad was testing me when he let it get so bad. He knew I could have it up and running like the day they made it."

"In '67, right?"

Dean looked at Castiel with both eyebrows raised. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I like history and old cars." Castiel shrugged.

"Cassie? I think this is the start of something beautiful," Dean said, only half-joking. Castiel just laughed, though he agreed.

And he needed something beautiful right now.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: Sorry again for the wait. I've finished this story now and I forgot I hadn't updated on here for awhile. Plus work is kicking my ass XD

Warnings: Language

* * *

As they pulled out of the school parking lot, Castiel's new phone, given to him by Chuck, beeped with a message.

"Everything cool?" Dean asked when Castiel pulled it out to check the message.

"Yeah. Anna said Gabriel had told her I was with you and that I can head to the shelter by myself if I wanted to," Castiel answered.

"Getting a pet?" Dean asked, glancing over at him.

"Yeah, maybe. And I want to apply for a job. Gabe said they were hiring?"

"Yeah. Sue's awesome. She'll probably hire you on the spot. I can take you by there if you want," Dean offered.

Castiel smiled. "Sounds good."

Dean smiled back and turned down a road. "I work for Bobby. My dad is co-owner, and someday I might take over the shop from them."

"I bet you'll do a great job," Castiel said. Dean grinned at him.

"Hope so. Uh, if you don't mind me asking, on a side note, what was with you and Mr. Roman today?" Dean asked hesitently.

Castiel bit his lip. "What do you mean? Nothing happened."

"Pardon my pushing, but something happened. I was there, Cassie. Not deaf." Dean slanted her a look.

Castiel sighed quietly and began to explain.

* * *

History class had started out just like any other class. Castiel chose a seat in the very back of the classroom, behind Dean this time, with no one on either side of him. The assignment was simple. Read about Joan of Arc and answer the small set of questions.

But one of the questions stumped even Castiel. He raised his hand and got Mr. Roman's attention. The tall, thin, slightly balding man walked over and bent close to Castiel as to not disturb the other students.

"Yes, Miss Milton?" he asked.

"I just had a question about this one," Castiel explained. "It says describe her first vision and the imprint it left on her. But this passage glosses over the vision and simply states how she felt afterwards."

"This one is actually a trick question. I will explain it, since you are new. My other students have learned this trick. See, you are to describe it in your own words, using the bits and pieces the passage provides." Mr. Roman leaned closer. "I look forward to seeing your answer. Just as I am watching you walk to my desk to turn it in. Those jeans are very tight on you, are they not?" he whispered into Castiel's ear. Then he straightened up and continued on as though nothing had happened.

Castiel was frozen in his seat. Did that really just happen? He bent over his work and tried to forget it.

He waited until the end of class to turn it in, rushing to throw it on Mr. Roman's desk and hurrying out into the hallway. He swallowed a grimace and smiled at Dean who had taken his time.

* * *

"That fucker! I thought he had said that, but I figured there was no way he would say something so blantly to a student," Dean ranted, hitting the steering wheel. They were now outside the animal shelter.

"Dean, please don't say anything. It was just a comment. I can handle it," Castiel said.

"Cassie, you can't be serious?" Dean asked with an incredulus look on his face.

Castiel didn't need any attention on him, since that would make it easier for Lilith to find him. So, he did what he thought would work. He tilited his head slightly and batted his lashes a few times. "Please, Dean?" he asked, practially purring his name.

Dean's eyes widened as his mouth opened and closed a few times. "Okay," he managed to say. Castiel grinned brightly.

"Thanks!" With that said, he opened the door and got out. He waited until Dean fumbled with his door and got out himself. They walked into the shelter.

"For the last time, no! You're not using my toaster to build a large EMF meter!" a woman was saying to a young man. The woman and teen both had dark brown hair, though the woman's was to her shoulders. The teen had rectangle glasses and a neatly trimmed grotee.

"Mom, come on. Toasters come a dime a dozen, but Harry found a manual that shows us how to convert one," the teen said. Castiel deduced this was Ed and Sue Bradbury.

"Then go buy your own toaster," she said. Then she turned to face Dean and Castiel as Ed huffed and left the shelter. "Dean, how are you? And who's this?"

"This is Cassie. She's looking for a pet and wants to apply here," Dean explained. "Cassie, this is Sue Bradbury. That was Ed you just saw."

"Gabe's tutor," Castiel said, nodding.

Sue laughed. "Don't know how much learning Gabe's doing. I love my boys, but their heads are so far up in the clouds, they are about to meet God." She clapped her hands together. "So. How do you wanna do this? Interview now or later? Pet first or what?"

Castiel's eyebrows rose. "Interview? Pardon me, Ma'am, but I haven't even filled out an application."

"But you look sweet. So I'm going ahead. Parents?"

"Uh...Chuck and Anna Milton."

"The Miltons? Oh, you their new child?"

Castiel nodded and Sue grinned. "You're hired. Anna's so sweet and those boys of her are gentlemen. I trust you. You can start tomorrow if you want? It'll just be training and showing you the ropes."

"Uh, okay?" Castiel's voice was timid.

"Now! To the animals!" Sue turned and began walking to a back room. Dean chuckled at the look on Castiel's face.

"Come on, Cas, let's go pick out a pet for you," he said, taking Castiel's hand and following after Sue.

Castiel did a double-take at the shortened nickname. "Cas?"

Dean faltered in his walking and flushed a deep red. "Uh, you know. Everyone calls you Cassie. And Cassrandra is kind of long. I, uh, wanted a name that only I call you. Or anyone can call you it. It doesn't matter."

Castiel smiled at the sweet gesture before harshly reminding himself that Dean thinks he's female. Dean's probably straight as a post, not interested in male Castiel. "I like it," he found himself mumbling.

They walked into the backroom which was actually a type of hallway. There was a door on each wall labeled something different. Cats, Dogs, and Others.

"Well?" Sue asked, a smile still on her face.

"I kinda want a cat. I like cats most," Castiel said. Sue nodded and the three headed into the Cats room.

Meowing echoed around them as they walked in, Sue quickly stopping a free-roaming cat from escaping the room. There were many cats just wandering around the room, playing on the giant cat playground in the corner.

"You gotta be quick when opening this door around this time. It's free time, all animals can wander around the room for an hour."

Castiel looked around the room with wide eyes, not noticing the way Dean was looking at _him_. There were so many beautiful cats running around. He stooped down to pet a light brown cat.

"That's Betty. Very sweet, but very picky on what she eats," Sue explained. She caught and picked up an orange cat. "Colby. Skittish around babies, but eats anything in sight."

"Nice to meet you," Castiel told the cats, rubbing Betty's ears as she butted his hand.

He caught sight of a little kitten playing with a string in the corner. Cooing, he stood up and moved over to play with the little kitten. It was light brown with black spots all over it. It's ears were unusally large and he jumped higher than the other kittens when Castiel dangled the string.

"That one just got here. Doesn't have a name. It's a Savannah, only three generations away from wild cats," Sue said, walking over with Dean.

"I know about Savannahs," Castiel said, grinning. "An adult cat can jump eight feet up and they love water. Can be trained and taught to walk with a leash." The kitten decided it was done playing with the string and jumped at Castiel. He caught the kitten and stood, rubbing the kitten's chin, causing it to purr loudly.

"That right there is a boy. Already fixed and declawed."

"He's a handsome boy, isn't he?" Castiel cooed. Dean smiled at him.

"I think we already found Cas' new pet," he said to Sue, who grinned back at him.

"I think so too. You got supplies and things like that?" Sue asked Castiel.

"No, but Anna said she would get what I needed," Castiel explained.

"Alright then. Let's get this done." Sue set Colby down and clapped her hands, sending cats running and the two teens laughing.

* * *

Dean watched as Cas and Sue finished the paperwork for the kitten. Cas was just so damn cute, the way she cooed at the kitten, the way her face lit up when the kitten licked her finger.

He couldn't stop replaying the way she had said his name when asking him not to do anything about their asshole of a teacher. He wanted so badly to punch Richard Roman, but he wouldn't do anything. The downside of a pretty girl asking him not to.

As they walked out to Dean's baby, Cas seemed to think of something.

"Is it okay? If the carrier sits in the back?" she asked, holding up the little carrier Sue had given her.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Dean asked.

"Well, Gabe had mentioned you hate it when Sam's dog is in your car," she explained.

It was true. Dean did hate it when Sam's Cocker Spaniel was in his car, but because the dog drooled everywhere and scratched the leather seats. "Yeah, I do, but your cat's alright. He's in a carrier and he's declawed. Can't ruin my seats."

Cas smiled and gently set the carrier in the backseat, buckling it in so it wouldn't fall or roll while driving. They got in the front seats and Dean started the car up, pausing to listen to it purr, kinda like Cas' new kitten.

"So, you think of a name for it?" Dean asked, jerking his thumb towards the backseat.

Cas bit her lip, thinking. "His purr sounds kinda like your car. It's stupid, but I like the name Impala. Imp for short."

Dean stared at her. He couldn't help it, but he was touched. She was wanting to name her kitten after Dean's beloved car. Without thinking, he leaned across the seat and pressed his mouth to hers.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: I am sorry again for the long wait. My job is understaffed and we've been all working overtime because of it. But two new people got hired so hopefully I won't be so tired to publish anymore :)

Warnings: None really for this chapter

* * *

Castiel's mind raged even as his eyes slid closed.

**Stop this! What do you think you're doing?** the rational part of his brain shouted at him.

_Ohmigod, yes! This feels amazing. _the less-rational part moaned.

**You're here to hide. Not to make out with handsome boys.**

_Shut up and enjoy the ride. Feel his stubble scratching my cheek, his velvet tounge glideing over mine._

**You need to stop. What if Lilith finds you? You'd have to leave him. Don't make this harder than it needs to be.**

_Lilith won't find me. Linda will make sure of it._

**He thinks you're a girl.**

That last part got his attention and Castiel pulled away, shaking.

"Cas?" Dean's voice was confused, but Castiel refused to look at him.

"I'm sorry. I can't," he said quietly, opening the door. He ignored Dean's protests and got the carrier out, closing the doors and walking away. He could hear Dean start to get out of his car and picked up his pace. He chanced a glance back and saw Dean standing outside his car, arms resting on the top, a curious and somewhat hurt expression on his face.

His new house wasn't far away. Castiel got there five minutes later and walked in the front door.

"Hey, Cassie. How was school?" he heard Anna call from the kitchen. Various explosions and gunfire came from the living room, letting him know where Gabriel, Charlie, and Sam were.

He walked into the kitchen and set the carrier down on the table. Anna's back was to him, she was cooking something that smelled wonderful.

"Either I'm going crazy, hearing things, or you got a kitten," she said, turning around, smiling.

"You're going crazy," Castiel joked, trying to forget Dean.

Anna laughed and swatted his arm. "One day here and you're already like us," she said, chuckling. "Can I?" she asked, gesturing to the carrier. Castiel nodded and she opened it, instantly cooing at the small kitten as he licked her fingers.

"Apparently, he has a thing for licking fingers," Castiel explained.

"Does he have a name?" Anna asked. Castiel flushed.

"Impala," he mumbled.

"Interesting name," Anna said genuinely. "What's the story behind it?"

"When he purrs, he sounds like Dean's car."

"Speaking of Dean, why didn't he come in with you? He did give you a ride, right?" Anna asked.

"Uh, to the shelter. But not here," Castiel said.

"Why not?"

"Uh..." Castiel suddenly found his fingernails very interesting.

Anna chuckled. "Cassie, you _can_ speak to me about anything. Did you and Dean have a fight?"

"Not exactly." Castiel sighed. "He kissed me."

Anna gasped excitedly and clasped Imp to her chest, making him let out a squeak in disapproval. "Oh, Cassie. How was it?"

"Really good, but I had to stop it and then I ran." He looked down.

Anna looked confused now. "Why did you run?"

Castiel looked back up at her with wide eyes. "I had to!" He lowered his voice so the teens in the living room couldn't hear. "He thinks I'm a girl. I can't lie to him, but I can't tell him I'm actually a boy."

"What?" That wasn't Anna. Castiel closed his eyes in frustration as he recognized Dean's voice. "What do you mean you're actually a boy?"

Castiel turned around slowly. Dean was standing in the doorway, Castiel's bag in his hand. He must of left it in Dean's car in his hasty getaway.

"I came to return your bag. You left it on the floor," Dean explained, setting the bag on the floor.

"Dean..." Castiel said. Anna bit her lip and looked between them, worried.

"I'll just make sure the kids don't come in," she said, setting Imp down and escaping to the living room.

"Dean, I'm sorry. It's too complicated to explain," Castiel said.

Dean shook his head. "No. I have a right to know."

Castiel sighed. "If I tell you, there's a good chance I have to leave. But fine. You know the story of Azazel Masters?"

"Scary dude escaped from prison a few days ago, right? Then was killed in a shoot-out." Dean nodded. "I know that. Why?"

"Because my dad sent him to jail. My dad told the police and Azazel was caught and imprisoned. But when he escaped, he came to my house. His daughter was my best friend. She hated her parents. Her mom and dad hated her. Meg tried to help us escape. I was the only one who hid before Azazel came in. He shot her in the head for helping us." He ignored Dean's horrified look and continued, unable to stop now. "I hid in the washing machine in our basement, but I could still hear a little. He shot my mom and my sister in the heart. Then he shot my dad in the stomach. He bled out slowly. By the time the police got there, there was no way to save him. Azazel fired at the police, starting a gun fight. His wife, Lilith Masters, escaped. She wants me dead. The FBI gave me a disguise until she could be caught."

Dean walked forward slowly until he dropped into the chair besides Castiel. "But why did you choose a girl for a disguise?"

"Because I wanted to..." Castiel said, looking anywhere but Dean's face.

"So...You're pretending to be a girl so this chick won't find you?" Dean asked, struggling to keep up.

Castiel nodded.

"Sorry, man. Didn't mean to kiss you or anything," Dean said hurriedly.

"Don't apologize for that," Castiel assured him.

"But...you're straight, right? No wonder you ran from me," Dean said, rubbing a hand over his face.

Castiel sighed. "No. I'm not straight. I'm gay. That's not why I ran from you."

"Then why?" Dean asked, trying to get Castiel to look at him.

"Because you are. I didn't want to see your look of disgust when you realized I was a boy," Castiel muttered to the floor.

Dean chuckled, actually _chuckled_. Castiel looked over to him finally, confused as to why Dean was laughing.

"Cas, I wouldn't look at you with disgust. I've only known you for one day, but you are the quietest, sweetest, caring teen I've ever met," Dean said. "You would rather let a teacher treat you like that than get him in trouble. You laugh at Ash instead of treating him like shit like most of the kids do. You looked like the happiest person on Earth simply because a cat licked your finger. Trust me, disgust would be the last thing I'd ever look at you with."

"But you're straight," Castiel insisted.

"True, but the weird thing is I'm not really freaking out about this," Dean said, shrugging. "I'm sure I'll freak out later on about kissing a guy, but I liked kissing you."

Castiel flushed as he looked down again. "I liked it too," he said quietly.

"I'll keep your secret. But I only ask for one thing."

"What?"

"Can I kiss you again?"

* * *

Abaddon Peal and Christian Campbell got out of their car. They were two of the best Hellhounds employed under Alistair. Abaddon had dark red hair and cold blue eyes while Christian had dark brown hair and light brown eyes.

"What is this place again?" Christian asked, eyeing the sparse landscape with disdain.

"Brandon, South Dakota," Abaddon answered, straightening her leather jacket. "I thought we could use a pit stop."

"Man, what are we even doing this time?" Christian asked as they began walking towards the little diner. "Usually when we findin' a vic, we know around where they are. This kid could be anywhere. We don't even know where to start. We've been traveling for about a week now."

"Look, Alistair said this kid was important. And to not kill him. He wants the pleasure himself." Abaddon walked into the diner, Christian following. They picked a booth near a single man and sat down.

"We need to find out who's the agent assigned to this kid," Christian said quietly. "Find the agent, find the kid."

"And how do you suppose we do that? Break into the FBI?" Abaddon asked.

"Why not? We've done just as hard."

"Dude, that police department was ill-staffed, ill-equipped, and falling apart. The FBI is nowhere near that."

Christian sighed angrily. "What's so fucking special about this kid? What's so god-damned special about a blue-eyed, black-haired teen?"

Abaddon shrugged. "I think it's got something to do with his brother."

"Excuse me." It was the man that had been sitting alone. "What blue-eyed, black-haired teen?"

"It's really none of your business," Abaddon snapped.

"But I think I can help. I'm a teacher about an hour from here and we just got a blue-eyed, black-haired teen today," the man said.

Christian narrowed his eyes. "Who are you and what's in it for you?"

The man smiled. "It sounds like you get a reward for this kid. I just want a small piece of that. As for who I am," he paused, grinning larger. "My name is Richard Roman."

* * *

Castiel wondered how Dean was taking this so lightly. Eating dinner with Sam, Charlie, and the Miltons like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't kissed Castiel thinking he was a girl, only to find out he's a boy and then kissed him again. He wondered where this left them. Dean had said he was straight, but he was still kissing Castiel. So, was he bisexual?

This wasn't the only confusing thing. Castiel saw the way Gabriel and Sam kept looking at each other. Did they like each other?

Conversation flowed freely around the table. Dean explained about this cool car Bobby was fixing, how Mary planned on painting the outside of the house. Sam would jump in with bits of information, causing Dean to smile and ruffle his hair. Gabriel and Charlie talked about this new club they wanted to join called LARP. Live action role playing. Sam wanted to join too now.

Anna and Chuck, who emerged from his office rumpled and ink splattered, asked questions and gave the right responses to stories. Castiel didn't say much. He just watched the scene, smiling softly and feeling that ache for his own family. He would never have a meal with them again, but now he had the Miltons. Maybe they would make this easier. This pain.

Feeding bits of meat to Imp, he chanced a glance at Dean, who was looking at him with a soft expression. Maybe it didn't matter what Dean was. Straight, bi, or gay. He liked Castiel, and that was enough for now.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: Nothing to really say for this chapter. Just that I hope you like it.

Warnings: slight language, mention of minor character death

* * *

"This is?"

"Brandon, South Dakota. Come on, there's a diner."

Christian Campbell and Abaddon Peal walked towards the little diner and found a seat. There was only one other person eating, a single man.

"What are we doing here, Ab? Alistair always at least gives us a location. All we get this time is a description and a name," Christian said.

"Look, Alistair is paying us double to find this kid. For that amount, I will personally look in every city there is to find some black-haired, blue-eyed kid," Abaddon said.

"What's so important about this kid anyways?"

"Don't know. Only know the kid is so important, Alistair wants the pleasure of doing it himself."

"Excuse me." It was the man.

"Yeah?" Christian asked.

"Couldn't help but overhear you're looking for a black-haired, blue-eyed kid? Well, one just came to my town yesterday."

Abaddon and Christian looked at each other. "What's in it for you and who are you?" she asked.

"I want a small cut of that paycheck. As for who I am," the man grinned. "My name is Richard Roman."

* * *

"This the place?"

"Dude said so. Now, keep an eye out."

"Coulda sworn we were looking for a male, not some chick."

"Could be disguised."

"True," Christian conceeded. They looked at the sign that read Sioux Falls and nodded to each other.

"Split up and call me if you see him. Or her. Him? The kid," Abaddon said. Christian nodded again and left, getting out of the car and walking away. She left the car too, knowing a person getting fresh air is less noticable than a car driving around for hours.

She walked down the streets, looking at the nice houses. She passed a auto-shop and saw a older man wearing a ball cap yelling at a teen who seemed to have dropped something important. Another man came up and placed a hand on the first man's shoulder, saying something.

She saw two teens sitting at the park, a toaster between them. She decided to try something and approched them.

"Where did you even get this? It looks like if you plugged it in, it'd explode," one said. He had wilder hair than the other and no glasses. She guessed them twins.

"Mr. Tate said it would work for us. We're not toasting the ghosts so it doesn't matter," the one wearing glasses said. "It only cost five bucks."

"Not even worth that," the first one muttered.

"Excuse me," Abaddon said, making her voice friendly. The boys looked up. "I'm looking for my friend. She moved here and I came to visit, but my phone died and I can't find her house."

"Who you looking for?" the first one asked.

She paused, not knowing the name the kid picked. She guessed the kid would want something similar to his actual name, Castiel, for comfort. The nickname would be the same. "Uh, Cassie," she decided in, hoping she was right.

"Ah, that new girl. She's with the Miltons. They're just a block ahead, in this big green house," the second one said. "Now, if you don't mind, we're busy."

"Not at all. Thanks," she said, walking off and shaking her head at their stupiditiy. If she had a new person move into town, she wouldn't give their address out so readily.

She reached the house in question. It was about six, so they should be eating around now. She glanced at a large window and noticed she was correct. There were two adults and five teens seated around a large dinner table.

Time to take the kid alive. She didn't care about the rest of them.

* * *

Castiel knew something was wrong. He had thought he saw a flash of red outside the window, but when he looked, it was nothing. Then, he heard a tiny click. Like a lock being disenaged.

"Get down!" he yelled, not even bothering to hide his voice.

"Ah, now I hope you weren't expecting me," a woman said, walking into the dining room. "Takes the surprise out of it."

"Who are you? Get out!" Chuck said, standing. She grinned and pulled out a phone and a gun, causing everyone to freeze.

"Christian, green house. Three blocks from where we parked. Door's open," she said into the phone after calling someone. "Now, where were we? Oh, right. Kid, come with me, no one gets hurt. Don't, I kill everyone and drag you out. Pick."

Castiel flashed back to Azazel and his family. He couldn't do that to this one. "I'll go!" he cried, standing up.

Everyone started arguing instantly, causing the woman to scowl. She raised the gun and fired a shot, hitting a vase on the table close to where Sam and Charlie sat. Everyone shut up.

"Kid's old enough. He can pick his own choice. Now, come on, kid. Alistair has been waiting to see you. You know, I thought it would be harder to find you. I'd still be looking if it wasn't for a helpful Richard Roman and two teens more focused on themselves than anything." The woman smiled. "Now, let's go."

"Whose Alistair?" Castiel asked.

"Azazel's brother. Now come on, kid. Time's awasting." The woman beckoned to him. Castiel saw Chuck type something on his phone under the table.

"Why are you doing this?" Chuck asked, slipping his phone into his pocket unseen.

"I don't think I have to answer you," she sneered. "I need the kid alive. I don't care about the rest of you." She raised the gun again and readied it. "Wanna pick who dies first?" she asked, slowly trailing the gun so it pointed at everyone at the table. The younger teens looked ready to cry, but Dean had a determined look on his face.

"You're not going to shoot any of them," a new voice said. It was a man wearing a tacky Hawiian shirt. He had his own gun aimed at the woman's head. "Christian's dead. Give yourself up," he said.

"Chris Harkness? I'm surprised. I thought you were Alistair's bitch," she sneered. The man's jaw clenched. "Not gonna shoot them, huh?" she asked, pointing it right at Dean. She pulled the trigger and then chaos raged.

She was brought down by Chris and the adults hurried over to help. Then came a choked sob.

"Cas!" Dean cried. Castiel had jumped at Dean when the gun went off. He was bleeding from his side rather heavily. Police officers, along with Kevin, ran in and helped Chris take the woman outside. Kevin, Anna, and Chuck rushed to Castiel's side.

His vision was blurring badly. "I couldn't let you die," he said in halting words to Dean.

"Shush, babe. Don't talk. Please," Dean pleaded, cradling him as the officers radioed the hospital.

"Cassie, baby, it's going to be okay," Anna insisted, kneeling down beside them and running a hand over Castiel's head.

"I'm cold, mom," Castiel said, unaware of what he was saying now.

"Cassie! Stay awake!"

"Come on, Cassie! Fight it!"

"Don't do this to me. Not when I just got you."

But then Castiel knew no more.

* * *

When Castiel finally came to, he heard voices around him.

"He's been out for two weeks. That's not a good start in a new school.'"

"He'll be fine, Anna. Stop worring."

"He _died_, Chuck. They said his heart stopped for four minutes before they got it back going. Don't tell me not to worry."

"But he's _alive_. Take care in that fact."

"True."

There was a pause. Castiel felt so much pain. He struggled to open his eyes, but his body refused to listen.

"Where's Dean? I haven't seen him leave Castiel's side except for school." That was Chuck. Castiel remembered that much.

"Bathroom," Anna answered.

There was another pause. This time, his eyes slowly opened. He was in a hospital room, hooked up to many machines. Chuck and Anna were sitting by him, both looking haggard and tired. As he began to move, they looked up together.

"Cassie," they both said at the same time, breathless with relief.

"Dean?" he breathed.

"He'll be right back," Anna told him, running a hand through his hair. Castiel noticed the wig was gone. He looked down and saw the suit was gone too. His chest was covered by white bandages instead.

"Everyone safe?" he asked.

Chuck nodded. Kevin walked into the room then, having heard Castiel's voice.

"Castiel. It's good to see you again," he said.

"You too," Castiel answered.

"Just so you know, through a helpful Chris Harkness, we were able to locate Alistair and Lilith. You are truly safe now. Richard Roman has been arrested for aiding them and for three counts of sexual harrassment towards students."

"But it only happened once," Castiel managed, not thinking clearly.

"Wait, he made advancements towards you too?" Kevin asked.

"Just said my jeans were tight and he liked seeing them like that," Castiel answered.

"Four counts then. You don't have to worry anymore," Kevin assured him. They talked for a few more minutes, then Kevin left.

"You don't have to hide anymore, Cassie," Anna said happily.

"But now what? Where will I go?" Castiel asked.

"We've talked that over with Linda, who's here also. Since you would be placed in the foster care system anyways, we asked if we could be your foster parents. We could even adopt you if you're okay with that," Chuck said.

Castiel smiled slightly. "I'd like that."

"Cas." Dean's voice was soft and excited.

Chuck smiled and stood with Anna. "We're going to go talk to Linda and Kevin," he told Castiel, who nodded. "You won't have long. The nurses are going to want to check on you."

The two adults left, leaving the teens alone. Dean hurried over and sat next to Castiel's bed.

"First, let me say thank god you're awake," Dean said. "We were worried you wouldn't wake."

"Second?" Castiel asked, trying to sit up. The pain was so great, he gave up and slumped back down.

"Why did you do that? Why did you jump in the way?"

Castiel looked over so he was staring in Dean's eyes. "Because I already lost my family. I lost my best friend, my home, everything I knew for seventeen years. I couldn't lose you too. I couldn't put your parents or Sam through what I felt."

"And how do you think we would feel? Huh? If you had died. You've only been here, awake, for one day, but you've impacted so many people around you already," Dean told him.

"Tell Sue I'm sorry I couldn't be there," Castiel said.

"That doesn't matter. She understands." Dean stood and grabbed Castiel's hand. "Just get better and come home. Gabriel's about to kill Ed. You don't want Ed to die because you didn't come back and tutor Gabe, right?"

Castiel laughed, then grimaced.

"You'll be feeling the pain for awhile. Shouldn't last long than a week now," a nurse said, walking into the room. She came up to the bed and began checking his vitals. "Do you want your boyfriend in the room with you when we change your bandages?"

Castiel's eyes widened as he and Dean looked at each other.

"He's not-"

"I'm not-"

They spoke at the same time. The nurse looked amused.

"Sure. I'm sorry. I just figured since you're here every day all day, you were his boyfriend," she said. Dean flushed.

"I just remembered my mom needs help with Sammy. Feel better, Cas," Dean said, practially fleeing from the room.

"He's not my boyfriend," Castiel insisted as the nurse helped him sit up so they could change his bandages.

"Honey, you two seem to want to lie to yourselves all day long. I've been married for twenty years now and that boy looks at you like my husband still look at me. If he's not, then you two are missing out," she said kindly.

Castiel fell silent, thinking about what she had said. Where did he and Dean stand anyways? Where did he want them to stand? Where did Dean want them to stand?

He had so many questions and no answers.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: Last chapter before the epilogue, which, yes, will contain a smut scene XD

Warnings: slight language

* * *

A week later, Castiel was healthy enough to leave the hospital. Linda had visited him and informed him that, if he consented, Chuck and Anna would become his actual parents. He gave his consent right away.

Since he had only been to school one day before everything had transpired, the school decided to act as though it was his first day again. That way he didn't have so much to make up.

Sue stopped by and informed him he still had a job with her when he felt up to it.

"Ed stopped tutoring me since his writing hand is broken. Apparently he was trying to convert a toaster and it blew up. Harry's fine, but Ed got knocked to the ground and landed wrong on his hand. I figured he could just talk me through problems, but he likes to show me."

Gabriel was going off again as Castiel, Chuck, Anna, and Gabriel got into the car to go home. The Winchesters would be coming over to the Milton house for dinner, so Castiel would meet John and Mary for the first time. Bobby, Ellen, Jo, and Ash would be coming over too. The Milton's house was big enough to fit everyone comfortably.

As Castiel was about to get in, he heard his name being called. He turned around slowly and saw Linda and Chris Harkness.

"Castiel, this is Chris. He's the one who saved you guys," Linda said, introducing the man properly.

"Hello, Chris," Castiel said shyly.

"I just wanted to see you were walking again," Chris said. "I've been trying to tag Abaddon and Christian since I learned of Alistair's plan. Just glad I caught them in time."

"I h-heard what she said. About you being Alistair's right-hand man," Castiel said.

Chris sighed. "Kid, I'm not gonna lie. I was in deep with Alistair. But the moment he wanted to kill an innocent kid, I knew something had to change. See, I had a brother. He'd be about twenty now. Jack was his name. Disappeared one day, never saw him again. I wasn't about to take another kid out of this world."

"He's not in trouble, is he?" Castiel asked Linda.

"We decided to give him a pardon, since he helped us. He promised he was done with dealing drugs," she answered.

"Yep. Going clean," Chris said. "Gonna try getting a job fixing cars or something."

Castiel smiled. "I know just the people to talk to."

* * *

Castiel was resting in his room until it was time for dinner. He had already met Mary, John, Bobby, and Ellen. Mary had started crying and wrapped him in a huge hug for saving her boy. But the pain killers started wearing off. So he took a couple more and decided to lay down as they kicked in.

There was a tiny knock on his door. When he said to come in, Sam walked in with Gabriel and Charlie. Sam was carrying a large wrapped package and several smaller packages. He set them gently on Castiel's bed.

"We thought you were going to get bored, just sitting here for two days, so we bought you something to pass the time and say thank you for saving Dean," Sam explained. Gabriel was uncharacteristicly quiet.

Castiel sat up, wincing as he did so, and grabbed one of the smaller packages. It was a video game. He grinned as he unwrapped three more video games and finally he unwrapped the large package, finding a Xbox 360.

"Thanks, guys!" he said, hugging each of them. When it was Gabriel's turn, Gabriel clung to him.

"I'm glad you're not dead," he whispered, before pulling back. "But it kinda sucks I have another big brother and no sisters."

Charlie and Sam laughed as Castiel smiled. "Sorry," Castiel apologized.

"Nah, it's cool. You're pretty awesome, girl or otherwise." With that said, Gabriel waved goodbye and the three left.

Castiel smiled and got up to hook up the system to the small T.V. that Chuck had installed when Castiel first came here.

"Uh, is this a bad time?" he heard Dean ask jokingly. Castiel was behind the stand, tangled in wires.

"Heh, maybe," Castiel answered, trying to unwind a cord wrapped around his arm.

"You're supposed to be resting, not wrestling with cords and losing," Dean said, walking over and peering down at him with a fond smile.

"I am. This is how I relax. I take out cords and just roll around them, then try to untangle myself," Castiel snarked. Dean laughed and reached down, helping untangle Castiel.

"That one doesn't go there," Dean said as Castiel tried plugging a cord in. Castiel scowled and threw the cord down. Dean laughed again. "Let me help," he said, coming around to kneel by Castiel's side. Dean took the cord and plugged it in, quickly helping set up the system.

"By the way, I came up to tell you that dinner's done and Mom wants to hug you again," Dean informed him. They both stood up. "Man, it's weird seeing you with short hair and no boobs." He blushed as he realized what he said. "I mean, not that you don't look hot now. 'Cause you do."

Castiel just smiled as Dean mumbled himself into silence, blushing badly. "So, where does that leave us?" he asked quietly.

"I'd like to give it a try. I mean, I've never dated a guy. Ever. But how hard can it be?" Dean asked.

Castiel grinned. "As easy as making a pie," he said.

"You know how to make pies?" Dean asked, confused.

"Yeah. My m-mom taught me," he said, faltering a bit at remembering Amelia Novak.

"You gotta make me one someday. I love pies. Oh my gosh. Pies," Dean said, trying to distract him. It worked and Castiel laughed.

"I gotta warn you though," Dean said as they headed downstairs. "My dad used to be in the Marines. I don't know what his views on having a bisexual son is like."

"So, are we telling people now or not?"

Dean tapped his chin in thought. "Yeah. I like the idea of everyone knowing you're taken," he said, leaning in and placing a chaste kiss on Castiel's lips. He took Castiel's hand and they walked into the dining room together. Everyone's eyes glanced at their hands, before looking at Castiel.

"How you feeling, Cassie?" Anna asked, coming over and giving him a brief hug.

"Better. I think the meds are kicking in," Castiel answered. He glanced at Dean and cleared his throat. "Uh, Dean has something he wants to tell everyone."

"Coward," Dean whispered affectionately. "Uh, yeah. So...Cas and I are...um...kind of seeing each other?"

John was the first one to react. He grinned and called out, "way to go!"

"You're okay with it?" Dean asked him.

John smiled. "Son, if a person jumped in front of a bullet for me, hell yes I'd go out with them."

Mary laughed. "Sorry, but I'm not hiring a hitman just so I can save you," she said.

"Damn," John said, snapping his fingers. Mary scolded him lightly for the swearing as everyone laughed.

* * *

After dinner, Castiel pulled John and Bobby aside and explained about Chris and his desire to fix cars.

"As long as he's competely done with the drug selling, he's hired," Bobby said.

"What? No interview? That's it?" Castiel asked, wondering what was with these people and hiring on the spot.

John and Bobby laughed. "Son, one thing you'll learn about small towns, we stick by each other. So if we ever hired someone and regretted it, we have backup. So we never worry about it," John explained.

Castiel nodded, showing he understood. He left the two adults and sat in a chair, wincing slightly as his side ached. He leaned his head back and sighed.

He felt something jump on his lap and smiled as Imp circled his lap a few times and then layed down.

"Three guess who his favorite person is," Dean said, kneeling besides the chair and running a finger down Imp's back. Imp raised his head, licked Dean's finger, then layed his head back down.

"So far, he hasn't shown dislike to anyone. Well, he likes Charlie, but apparently doesn't like the smell of her dog," Castiel said, raising his own head and looking at Dean.

"Nobody likes the smell of her dog," Dean said, ducking as a paper ball flew past his head. Charlie had heard him and thrown it, but he expected that and didn't get hit.

Castiel chuckled as he adjusted his position. Imp growled as he was jostled.

"So, are you ready for school in two days?" Dean asked him.

"Yeah." Castiel grinned as he remembered something. "Hey, is it true Sue grounded Ed and Harry for five months?"

"Yeah. They aren't allowed to have their cameras or anything. Because they helped that red-headed chick find you," Dean explained. He scowled. "Serves them right."

Castiel laid a hand on his arm. "Hey, it's not that bad."

"They nearly helped kill you," Dean argued.

"But I'm still alive," Castiel insisted. "Be glad for that."

Dean sighed. "I am. Man, am I." He leaned in for another simple kiss, catcalls sounding out around them.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize, this story is for fun, not profit.

Notes: I decided to start this last chapter as a letter to Castiel's old family. Hope you like it.

Warnings: slight sex scene

* * *

Dear Mom, Dad, Meg, and Claire,

Today it has been a year since you died. Seems like yesterday sometimes. The pain is still there, but I can live with it now. Man, so much has happened since that fateful day.

After Azazel killed you guys, I was sent to a family in South Dakota. The Miltons. Their son is with you guys, little Nick. There are three other boys in the family. Michael is about to graduate collage, and Balthazar has one more year. Gabriel is in his last year of high school. I graduated, I'm going to collage to be a vet. There's a collage that accepted me about half an hour from my home now. I'm working under Sue Bradbury. She's real nice. Her sons still refuse to look me in the eye, they feel guilty that they nearly caused my death.

Because Lilith had found me. According to Linda, the head FBI agent that helped me, she found me purely by coincident thanks to my old history teacher. We have a new history teacher now. Mr. Salvator. Much nicer than our last one who tried hitting on me. Anyways, after Lilith found me, she threatened my new family and friends unless I left with her. She had tried shooting Dean, but I jumped in the way. It was worth the pain. Lilith and Alistair, Azazel's brother, are in for life.

But there is good news. I found someone. Mom, I know you used to worry about me because I was so quiet and shy. I still am, but I have friends now and even a boyfriend. And what a boyfriend I have. Dean is amazing. You'd like him. He's got a '67 Impala and works for his dad in mechanics. For my birthday a couple days ago, he took me to his favorite spot in the woods for a picnic. It was too cold to swim, but we had fun anyways. It took him nearly two months to finally say he loved me.

My new mom is very kind. She's so sweet. And my new dad is a writer. His new book became a bestseller almost overnight. Both of them love spending time with my cat, Imp. He loves licking their fingers. I should probably stop him from doing that, but it feels so funny when he does.

Meg, you'd like my friends, Benny, Jo, Ash, Charlie, and Sam. Ash is very much like you were, but with parents that actually love him. Benny and Jo are dating, while Charlie has been steady with her girlfriend for two years now.

I hope wherever you are, you're looking down at me and you're feeling proud. I miss you guys very much.

I love you.

From,

Castiel Milton now.

* * *

"Take your time, Cas," Dean said from beside him. Castiel was standing in sunny California with his family, Dean, and Sam. Fifteen-year-old Sam was going out with now seventeen-year-old Gabriel.

Castiel took in a shaky breath, looking down at the still-shiny tombstones. Two large ones for his parents and two smaller ones for Claire and Meg. He held the letter he had written in his hands, feeling kind of silly. But as Chuck laid a hand on his shoulder, he knew no one thought of him as being silly for doing this. Crouching down, he laid the letter underneath a large stone by the headstone. Michael and Balthazar laid down the wreaths of flowers they had bought. Gabriel and Dean each took a hand, Dean squeezing slightly.

As they walked away from the graves, Castiel suddenly chuckled, a sad sound, but a laugh anyways.

"What's so funny?" Gabriel asked.

"You all would of liked them. They were very outgoing, very kind. Meg used to joke that my family could make friends with anyone, anywhere," Castiel said.

"So the opposite of shy you?" Dean teased. Castiel smiled at him.

"I was definitely the quiet one of the family."

"You still are," Michael pointed out, grinning.

"Someone has to be," Castiel said, referring to his loud, pleasant family.

"Oh, snap," Balthazar said, laughing. "Maybe your new nickname could be Sassy Cassie."

"That's a terrible name," Sam said with a grin. Balthazar grabbed him in a headlock, ruffling his long hair. Sam, of course, shrieked and tried to escape. Gabriel tried to help but was captured by Michael and Dean together, both wrestling with Gabriel. Anna, Chuck, and Castiel laughed at the five boys. Finally Anna made them release the two youngest and they went back to the hotel. The room they were staying in consisted of four rooms. Anna and Chuck, of course. Michael and Balthazar, Dean and Sam, and Gabriel and Castiel. Though, last night, no one said anything when Castiel crawled into Dean's bed after a nightmare that woke Gabriel.

"Hmm, it's only three, what should we do until tomorrow when our plane leaves?" Anna asked the group.

"Pool!" Sam and Gabriel yelled at the same time.

"I'm going to head to the arcade," Bathazar said, untucking his shirt.

"Only because that girl that mans it is hot," Michael said pointedly.

"Hey, that's a bonus. This morning, this kid challenged me I couldn't beat him in racing," Balthazar defended himself.

"Alright, so Gabe, Sam, and I will go to the pool," Anna said, neatly cutting in. "Balth is going to lose at a game and fail at hitting on a girl." She ignored Balthazar's protests and the rest's laughs. "Michael?"

"He and I can check out the casino. Won't spend anything really, but he's twenty-one now," Chuck said. Anna nodded. Everyone looked to Dean and Castiel.

"I'd rather just stay in a bit. Regain my composure," Castiel said quietly.

"I'll stay with him," Dean said.

"Alright," Anna agreed. "So, at five, everyone meet at the restaurant for dinner."

They all agreed and went their separate ways. Sam, Gabriel, and Anna stopped by the room to grab their swim suits, then left. Dean and Castiel went into Dean's room.

"You sure you're okay?" Dean asked as they sat on the bed he slept in.

"Yeah. It's just...It feels final, you know?" Castiel sniffed once.

Dean gathered him into a hug. "Yeah." He pressed a kiss onto Castiel's forehead. Castiel sat up a bit and kissed him on the mouth. Dean allowed him control and Castiel deepened it, using his entire body to arrange them so that he was straddling Dean, who was laying back on the bed.

Dean broke the kiss, placing his hands on Castiel's shoulders. "Whoa, Cas. I need time to calm down."

Castiel sighed, wanting to forget the memories that visit brought up, of gun fire and fear. "Dean, I don't want you to calm down," he said. Dean looked up at him, questions in his eyes. "I need to forget. Make me forget."

It wasn't like they haven't had sex before, because they had many times. Often Dean let Castiel take control, set the speed. But this time, Castiel was giving up all control.

After making Castiel promise he'd speak up if he wanted to stop, Dean took that control and went with it. He swung them around so that he was now leaning over Castiel and kissed him deeply. He broke the kiss long enough to pull their shirts off and toss them to the side.

He traced Castiel's collarbone with his tongue, making his way up his jaw and back to his mouth. Dean loved the little sounds Castiel made when he was like this, worry-free and relaxed. Unbuttoning Castiel's jeans, Dean made him lift his hips so he could pull them off. Then he did the same with his own jeans.

Dean knew they had a certain amount of time, since there was a chance that someone could return early, so he hurried in undressing them. Normally he takes his time and practically worships Castiel while he does it.

Once he had Castiel stretched out beneath him, naked and glorious, Dean slowed a bit. He couldn't stop himself from running his hands over Castiel's body, tracing muscles and skimming over ticklish spots.

Castiel huffed out a laugh and batted his hands away. "Stop tickling," he said. Dean chuckled.

"No promises. Give me a second," he said, getting up and going over to his suitcase. He unzipped the front pocket and grabbed the travel sized bottle of lube that he always carried with him. He ignored Castiel's chuckle and walked back to the bed.

"Just go ahead," Castiel said. Dean nodded and coated his fingers. Taking some time to properly prep, Castiel was soon ready, keening and pushing back.

As Dean prepared himself and slid into Castiel, Castiel couldn't help but reflect on how much he loved Dean. He knew Dean would be important when they first met, but he didn't know how much. Now, a year later, Castiel was sure he and Dean would be together for a long time, maybe even forever.

"Cas? You okay?" Dean asked, touching his cheek gently. Castiel realized he was crying slightly.

"I'm fine. Just thinking happy thoughts," Castiel replied, smiling at Dean. Dean smiled back and continued, holding his love close.

They finished at nearly the same time and then just lay there, Castiel still tearing up. He wiped his eyes and snuggled into Dean, content to just stay there forever.

"We should probably get ready to meet everyone. Last thing we need is them checking on us," Dean said. Castiel chuckled.

"They would never let us live it down," he agreed. The pair got up and dressed, just in time. As soon as they were dressed and the bed cleaned, there was a knock on the door. Dean answered it.

It was Sam, wearing only swim shorts and dripping water everywhere. "I wanted to get my dive sticks," Sam explained. Dean let him in and Sam got the toys. As he was leaving, he grinned at his brother and Castiel.

"Hope it was good," he said, before ducking out of the room so Dean couldn't hit him. Dean and Castiel looked at each other before bursting into laughter.

The pain would always be there from losing his family, but it was lessening over time with the help of his new family, his new friends, and his new love. Castiel finally thought he would be fine.


End file.
